School Mission Statement

I.S. 125 Mission Statement

We, the school community of I.S. 125, including parents and local community organizations, will create a safe, welcoming, and nurturing learning environment for all of our children. The quality of teaching and learning will be enhanced through the integration of cultural arts and technology into the core curricula while addressing the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social needs of the school community in order to promote higher standards and excellence for all students. Self-esteem, respect, understanding, and an appreciation of diversity will be fostered, thereby creating a community of life-long learners committed to the improvement of the world.

I.S. 125 School Goal

To improve student writing in all content areas in alignment with the state Common Core Standards.

ABSENCE When a student is absent from school, the student’s parent or guardian must provide the homeroom teacher with a note explaining the absence. Under the Education Laws of the State of New York, the only excuses for absence or lateness are personal illness, a death in the family, for religious observance, or for a mandated court appearance. A student is responsible for any work missed during an absence.

Parents or guardians are urged to leave their children in school all day. Doctor or other appointments should be scheduled after school hours or on school holidays, whenever possible. If a child needs to be dismissed early, only the parent or a person designated on the blue emergency card may sign the child out of school.

AGENDASAll students must purchase an agenda book at the beginning of the school year. The cost of this book is $5.00 . If it is lost, students will be asked to pay for a replacement. Students must bring this agenda to school everyday, and use it to record all assignments. Parents may also communicate with teachers through notes written in the agenda.

ARISTAStudents are encouraged to excel in their studies as well as in service to the school and the community. Membership in Arista (National Honor Society For Academic Achievement) is open to all 7th and 8th grade students in the school who meet the following criteria:

For Grade 6: An overall average of 90% with no grade lower than 85 - No more than 5 absences and 3 latenesses - Satisfactory or higher on all conduct grades – 20 hours of community service

For Grade 7: An overall average of 90% with no grade lower than 85 - No more than 5 absences and 3 latenesses - Satisfactory or higher on all conduct grades – 20 hours of community service

For Grade 8: An overall average of 90% with no grade lower than 90 (exception for Gym & UA) - No more than 5 absences and 3 latenesses - Satisfactory or higher on all conduct grades – 30 hours of community service

All 6th, 7th and 8th graders also need two recommendations from staff or community members.

ARRIVALThe regular hours of the school at 8:00 AM to 2:20 PM. Students may enter the school building at 7:00 AM. Students will adhere to the following procedures for entering the building:

Grade 8: Enter at 46th Street Auditorium Side

Grade 7: Enter at 47th Street Cafeteria Side

Students are not permitted above the first floor before 8:00 AM unless prior arrangements have been made with a teacher who must meet them in the cafeteria to escort them upstairs.

BREAKFASTBreakfast is available at no charge every morning in the cafeteria at 7:00 AM. Students must use the 47th Street entrance to access the cafeteria.

BUSESStudents in grade 6 who live one mile or more from the school are eligible for general education transportation on a yellow school bus. Students who meet other requirements are eligible for half fare metro cards (see transportation passes section for details).

CUTTING CLASSESStudents who do not attend their assigned classes without a legitimate excuse will be considered cutting. The dean will be contacted, the student’s parents will be notified, and the student will serve detention. Any work that is missed while cutting must be made up.

DETENTIONStudents may serve detention after school from Tuesday to Friday between 2:20 PM and 2:50 PM. Parents will be notified in advance when a student will be kept after school for disciplinary purposes.

DISCIPLINE CODEThe N.Y.C. Department of Education has established certain standards of behavior with which all students are expected to comply. These standards include a Discipline Code and a Students Bill of Rights. The Discipline Code sets forth a description of unacceptable behavior and the range of permissible discipline and intervention measures which may be used when students engage in this behavior. The Student Bill of Rights promotes responsible behavior and establishes guidelines for appropriate and acceptable student conduct, dress, and language. Copies of these Citywide standards are distributed to all students and parents, are available in the school, and can also be obtained from the Department of Education website at www.nycenet.edu.

DRESS POLICYStudents are not permitted to wear hats, bandannas, large hoop earrings, lipstick, shorts above the knee, mini-skirts, tank tops, crop tops, sleeveless shirts, or any other inappropriate form of dress. If students are found in violation of this policy, they will be removed from class and their parents will be notified and requested to bring a change of clothing to the school immediately.

EMERGENCY CONTACT CARDS (BLUE CARDS)At the beginning of every school year, parents or guardians are asked to complete blue emergency contact cards. The information on these cards is extremely important if the school must reach the parent to relay any urgent information, or in the event of a student’s sudden illness or injury. Please make certain the information on these cards is always accurate and kept up-to-date. If you move or change your home, business, or cellular telephone number during the school year, please notify the main office so the cards may be updated with the correct information. Please be aware that in order for anyone to pick up your child at school, their name must be listed on the blue emergency card.

FIRE DRILLSFire drills are required by law and are an important safety precaution in school. Students are expected to follow the teacher’s direction and to remain silent. Fire drills constitute an emergency situation;therefore, inappropriate behavior will result in disciplinary action. All students should follow the S.O.S. rule of:

Silence (no talking)

Order (follow directions of staff )

Speed (move quickly without running)

GYM UNIFORMSAll students are expected to wear the school gym uniform when participating in physical education classes. Uniforms may be purchased in school, and a price list will be sent home at the beginning of the school year. Any student reporting to gym without a uniform is considered unprepared. Three “unprepared” marks constitute a failure for that marking period.

HOMEROOMAttendance will be taken daily in both the AM and PM homerooms. During this time, important notices may be distributed and information relayed to the students. Students will be dismissed from PM homeroom after the last period of the day by the homeroom teacher at the designated exits.

HOMEWORKHomework is assigned on a daily basis. Homework assignments are to be recorded in the student agenda, which should be checked regularly by parents for assignments and notes. One of the criteria for grading is the satisfactory completion of all homework.

HONOR ROLLAn Academic Honor Roll consisting of four levels is published after each report card period. For the Principal’s List , the overall grade average must be at least 95.0, with no grade less than 90. The Gold Level requires a grade average of at least 90.0, with no grade less than 85.0. For the Silver Level, the overall grade average must be at least 85.0, with no grade less than 80. The requirement for the Bronze Level is an overall grade average of at least 80.0, with no mark less than 75.0. In addition, for any level of the Honor Roll, students are expected to maintain Excellent or Satisfactory in conduct, and to have no more than 2 unexcused absences and/or latenesses.

LATENESSStudents are expected to enter the building at 7:50 AM (unless admitted earlier for the breakfast program), and report directly to their homeroom. If students enter the building after 8:10 AM, they must enter through the main door and report to the security desk for a late pass. They must then report to the Dean’s Office to have the pass stamped and the lateness recorded. All latenesses will be recorded on student report cards. Students must also avoid lateness to a scheduled class. If a student is detained by a faculty member, it is their responsibility to obtain a late pass to present to the next subject class teacher. Mandatory detention will be served after the first three latenesses, and for any three latenesses thereafter.

LOST AND FOUNDThe Lost and Found is located in the Cafeteria , and is open open during periods 1 and 2 to students with a pass from their subject teacher. Please note: items in the Loss and Found will be routinely cleaned out and disposed of every November, February, April and June. The school is not responsible for the loss of personal property or textbooks.

LUNCHLunch is provided to all students, or students may choose to bring their lunch from home. No bottles of any kind (plastic or glass) are permitted to be brought into the school. Drinks brought from home must be in disposable drink box containers. Students must remain in the cafeteria. No food or drink is permitted in any area of the school other than the cafeteria.Students may be eligible to receive free or reduced price meals through the School Meals Program. In order to receive this benefit, eligible students must complete and return the Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals (SD1041). Please return this completed form to your home room teacher as quickly as possible. Completed forms not only enable students to receive free and reduced price meals, but they are also the basis for determining and distributing additional educational funding from the state and federal governments.

MISSED ASSIGNMENTSStudents are responsible for any assignments missed due to absence, lateness, or cutting. It is recommended that every student have the telephone numbers of at least two other reliable students in each class who may be contacted for missed assignments.

NOTICESImportant notices for parents are frequently sent home with students. Please ask students about such notices, and check book bags regularly for important school information. Please pay attention to the deadline dates for the return of certain permission forms. Many activities for the return of certain permission forms. Many activities for students and parents have a limited space capacity and once filled, may result in students' placement on a waiting list if permission forms are not received in a timely manner.

PARENT COORDINATORThe Parent Coordinator acts as the liaison between the parents and the school by helping to answer questions, address concerns, and resolve problems. These include ESOL (English classes for Speakers of Other Languages), computer training classes, parenting skills workshops, and presentations about testing, promotional requirements, ARIS Parent Link, bullying prevention and other timely topics. The Parent Coordinator works with the parents, school staff, and the community to advocate, inform, and actively engage parents in their children’s education. Regular communication is maintained between the school and the home through letters, monthly calendars, fliers, newsletters, emails, and through regular workshops and meetings. Parents are urged to call or visit the Parent Coordinator throughout the year. He may be reached at the school number of 718 937-0320.

PARENTS' ROLEParents play a very important role in the education of their children. Parents should:

Become involved in the discussion and the development of a plan of action to assist students in their studies and personal growth.

Work with the teachers and staff in enforcing the rules of the school and support the school in its efforts to follow through on their required code of behavior.

Become involved in the PTA and work with other parents for the betterment of the school

To provide support and resources to the school for the benefit and educational growth of the students of I.S. 125

To encourage and help to develop a cooperative working relationship between the parents and staff of our school and between the home, the school, and the community

To foster and encourage parent participation on all levels

To provide opportunities and training for parents to participate in school governance and decision making

Parents, legally appointed guardians, or persons in parental relation to students currently attending I.S. 125 are automatically members of the PTA. There is no requirement of dues for membership. The PTA holds monthly meetings, which all parents are encouraged to attend. Parent participation is crucial on the School Leadership Team, for fund raising activities, at special school events, and in other volunteer capacities in the school.

The officers of the PTA Executive Board for the 2014-2015 school year are:

Co-Presidents : Astrid Moncayo and Virginie Restivo

Secretary: Arlette Chrzanowski

Treasurer: Sabel Vega

The PTA may be contacted by leaving a message in the main office, sending a note to the school, or through the Parent Coordinator.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCESThis year, Parent/Teacher conferences will be a bit different. They will now be held four times a year, rather than two. The first conference will be our annual Back to School Night Curriculum Conference on September 18th.

The Second Conference will be the traditional fall conference and is scheduled for Thursday, November 20th in both the afternoon and evening. The afternoon session will be from 12:20 to 2:20 and the evening conferences from 5 to 8pm.

The next two Parent Teacher Conferences are scheduled for March and May at the same times in the afternoon and evening. Specific dates will be announced during the school year.

It is extremely important for you to attend these conferences in order to meet with your children's teachers to discuss their progress in the various subject areas.

In addition, individual conferences may be also scheduled on Tuesday afternoons from 2:30 to 3 during the year.

PROHIBITED ITEMSOnly materials necessary for class may be brought to school. Students are not permitted to bring mp3 players, video games, radios, beepers, or cell phones. If these items are brought into the building, they may be confiscated. Food, candy, or beverage consumption is not permitted in classes or hallways at any time. Gum is forbidden in the building. Students are not permitted to bring weapons or dangerous objects of any type into the school building or onto the school grounds at any time.

PROMOTION POLICYThe promotion policy for all students is established by the NYC School Chancellor’s Regulation A-501 which defines standards for promotion to each grade. Students must meet or exceed these established requirements in order to be promoted to the next grade. These requirements are available at the school, and may also be obtained from the Department of Education website at schools.nyc.gov.

REPORT CARDSReport cards are distributed to all students four times during the school year in November, February, April and June. Students are graded on academic achievement in all subject areas as well as in conduct. Attendance and lateness for both the reporting period and the year- to-date are included. Report cards must be signed by a parent or guardian and returned to school promptly. At the end of the term, if students have not returned all text books to the school, the final report card will be help until the book record is cleared.

ROOM PASSESAll students leaving the classroom for any reason must obtain a room pass. Students are not permitted out of class during the first and last 10 minutes of each period, during periods 1 and 8, and during the periods immediately before and after their lunch period, except under special circumstances.

SCHOOL CLOSINGSThe NYC Schools Chancellor will make the decision to close or delay the opening of school during stormy weather. The citywide decision will be made as early as possible prior to 6 AM, and announced on all local radio and television news stations.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAMThe School Leadership Team is responsible for developing school-based educational policies and ensuring that the resources to implement these policies are in place. The SLT is comprised of the Principal, the United Federation of Teachers chapter chair, the PTA President, parents, and school staff. The members work together to develop the school’s Comprehensive Educational Plan and collaborate on a school based budget and staffing plan. They receive a remuneration of $300 for 30 hours of service on the SLT. Any parent interested in becoming a member of the School Leadership Team should contact the PTA or the Parent Coordinator of the school.

SECURITYAnyone entering the school building is required to stop at the main security desk in the lobby. All visitors must show picture identification and sign the visitors book in order to obtain a pass to the main office.All visitors must report to the main office first, regardless of their destination. Upon exiting the building, visitor passes must be returned to the Security Officer at the main security desk.

TESTINGStudents in grades 3 through 8 must take the New York State ELA and Math exam (students who are in the US for less that 1 year are exempted from the ELA test only). Testing dates for the ELA exam are April 14th to 16th, and April 22nd to 24th for the Math exam. Notices will be distributed during the year with exact testing dates and times. The results of these test affect promotion to the next grade.

Interim assessment tests in both ELA and math are also administered to students four times a year. These assessments will in no way have a negative effect on your child's academic performance. They will however enable us to expand our instruction in order to better meet the needs of your children, further prepare them for the state assessments by testing their understanding of the subject matter, and familiarize students with testing protocol.

TRANSPORTATION PASSESMetro Cards are issued twice a year, in September and in February to eligible students. Students in grades 6 who live at least ½ mile and less than 1 mile from the school are eligible for half-fare transportation passes. If they live more than 1 mile from the school, they are eligible for transportation on a yellow school bus or for a full fare metro card. Students in grades 7 and 8 who live between ½ and 1 ½ miles from school are eligible for a half fare transportation pass. If they live more than 1 ½ miles from the school, they are eligible for a full fare pass. If a student’s metro card is lost or stolen, it will take at least 3 weeks for a replacement card to be issued. These regulations are established by the Department of Education and are not subject to change by the school. Inquiries concerning pupil transportation should be directed to Ms. Lydia Kramer, I.S. 125 Transportation Coordinator.

TEXTBOOKSStudents are responsible for all textbooks issued to them. All textbooks must be covered, and the student’s name, teacher’s name, class, and date must be written in the spaces provided inside the books. Students must pay immediately for any lost books. Any student who does not return their textbooks at the end of the school year or pay for their replacement, will not receive a final report card.

TRIP AND SPECIAL EVENT POLICYA student's participation on a school trip or in a special event is considered a privilege. Any student whose behavior has not been satisfactory at any time during the course of the school year, or who has excessive absences or latenesses, or is missing excessive homework assignments or projects, may be recommended for exclusion from participation in a trip or event by a teacher, a dean or an Assistant principal. The decision to exclude a student must then e approved and finalized by the principal. This decision may affect a student's participation in class trips, school shows, dances and special events, and the senior trip and the Prom.